U.S. patent application number 10/292709 was filed with the patent office on 2003-05-22 for track rehabilitation machine.
This patent application is currently assigned to Franz Plasser Bahnbaumaschinen- Industriegesellschaft m.b.H.. Invention is credited to Theurer, Josef, Worgotter, Herbert.
Application Number | 20030094290 10/292709 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 3502222 |
Filed Date | 2003-05-22 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030094290 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Theurer, Josef ; et
al. |
May 22, 2003 |
Track rehabilitation machine
Abstract
A track rehabilitation machine comprises an elongated machine
frame supported on the track by undercarriages for movement in an
operating direction, the machine frame having two ends. Mounted on
the machine frame are a vertically adjustable endless ballast
excavating chain for excavating dirty ballast whereon the track is
supported, a first conveyor band unit for conveying the excavated
dirty ballast from the ballast excavating chain to a ballast
transfer station at one machine frame end, a second conveyor band
unit for conveying clean ballast from a ballast receiving station
at the one machine end to a ballast discharge station arranged
rearwardly of the ballast excavating chain, a further ballast
transfer station and a further ballast receiving station at the
other machine frame end, and further conveyor band units
cooperating with the further ballast transfer and receiving
stations for respectively conveying ballast to and from a ballast
screening car selectively coupled to a respective one of the
machine frame ends.
Inventors: |
Theurer, Josef; (Vienna,
AT) ; Worgotter, Herbert; (Gallneukirchen,
AT) |
Correspondence
Address: |
COLLARD & ROE, P.C.
1077 Northern Boulevard
Roslyn
NY
11576
US
|
Assignee: |
Franz Plasser Bahnbaumaschinen-
Industriegesellschaft m.b.H.
|
Family ID: |
3502222 |
Appl. No.: |
10/292709 |
Filed: |
November 12, 2002 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
171/16 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E01B 27/10 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
171/16 |
International
Class: |
E01B 027/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Nov 19, 2001 |
AT |
GM 892/2001 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A track rehabilitation machine comprising an elongated machine
frame supported on the track by undercarriages for movement in an
operating direction, the machine frame having two ends, and mounted
on the machine frame (a) a vertically adjustable endless ballast
excavating chain for excavating dirty ballast whereon the track is
supported, (b) a first conveyor band unit for conveying the
excavated dirty ballast from the ballast excavating chain to a
ballast transfer station at one machine frame end, (c) a second
conveyor band unit for conveying clean ballast from a ballast
receiving station at the one machine end to a ballast discharge
station arranged rearwardly of the ballast excavating chain, (d) a
further ballast transfer station and a further ballast receiving
station at the other machine frame end, and (e) further conveyor
band units cooperating with the further ballast transfer and
receiving stations for respectively conveying ballast to and from a
ballast screening car selectively coupled to a respective one of
the machine frame ends.
2. The track rehabilitation machine of claim 1, wherein each
ballast transfer station at each machine frame end is positioned
above the ballast receiving station.
3. The track rehabilitation machine of claim 1, wherein a vertical
distance of the ballast transfer station and the track and of the
ballast receiving station and the track is the same at each machine
frame end.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a track rehabilitation
machine comprising an elongated machine frame supported on the
track by undercarriages for movement in an operating direction, the
machine frame having two ends, and mounted on the machine frame a
vertically adjustable endless ballast excavating chain for
excavating dirty ballast whereon the track is supported, a first
conveyor band unit for conveying the excavated dirty ballast from
the ballast excavating chain to a ballast transfer station at one
machine frame end, and a second conveyor band unit for conveying
clean ballast from a ballast receiving station at the one machine
end to a ballast discharge station arranged rearwardly of the
ballast excavating chain.
[0003] 2. Description to the Prior Art
[0004] Such a machine for cleaning ballast has been disclosed in
U.S. Pat. No. 5,394,944. The excavated dirty ballast is conveyed to
a ballast screening car coupled to the front end of the machine
frame by a first conveyor band unit, and the ballast cleaned on the
ballast screening car is conveyed by a second conveyor band unit to
a ballast discharge station arranged rearwardly of the ballast
excavating chain in the operating direction of the machine. If too
little clean ballast is available, a further conveyor band unit at
the rear end of the machine frame may convey clean ballast to the
ballast discharge station from a storage car. The detritus from the
ballast screening car is stored in a storage car coupled to the
ballast screening car.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] It is the primary object of this invention to improve such a
track rehabilitation machine by enhancing the transport
possibilities of the detritus.
[0006] The above and other objects are accomplished according to
the invention in a track rehabilitation machine of the
first-described type by further conveyor band units cooperating
with further ballast transfer and receiving stations at the other
machine frame end for respectively conveying ballast to and from a
ballast screening car selectively coupled a respective one of the
machine frame ends.
[0007] This makes it possible to change the direction of conveyance
of the detritus without problems and without requiring retrofitting
for optimal adaptation to logical machine frame conditions. All
that is needed is the repositioning of the ballast screening car
from one machine frame end to the other.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
[0008] The above and other objects, advantages and features of the
present invention will become more apparent from the following
detailed description of certain now preferred embodiments thereof,
taken in conjunction with the accompanying, somewhat schematic
drawing wherein
[0009] FIG. 1 is a side elevation showing one embodiment of the
track rehabilitation machine of this invention, and
[0010] FIG. 2 is a schematized side elevation of a slightly
modified embodiment, wherein the same reference numerals designate
like parts functioning in a like manner as in the embodiment of
FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0011] The drawing shows track rehabilitation machine 1 comprising
elongated machine frame 3 supported at its two ends 14, 18 on track
6 by undercarriages 2, 2 for movement in an operating direction
indicated by arrow 5. Mounted on the machine frame are vertically
adjustable endless ballast excavating chain 7 for excavating dirty
ballast 10 whereon the track is supported, first conveyor band unit
11 for conveying the excavated dirty ballast from ballast
excavating chain 7 to a ballast transfer station 15 at front
machine frame end 14, and a second conveyor band unit 17 for
conveying clean ballast from ballast receiving station 19 at the
front machine end 14 to a ballast discharge station 20 arranged
rearwardly of ballast excavating chain 7.
[0012] Drive 4 moves track rehabilitation machine 1 in the
operating direction and operator's cab 9 is arranged on machine
frame 3 within view of the ballast excavating chain to monitor its
operation as well as the that of track lifting device 8 enabling
the track to be raised at the ballast excavation point.
[0013] First conveyor band unit 11 has a ballast receiving end 13
positioned below discharge end 12 of ballast excavating chain 7 to
receive the excavated dirty ballast and convey it to ballast
transfer station 15 projecting beyond front end 14 of machine frame
3.
[0014] According to this invention, a further ballast transfer
station 21 and a further ballast receiving station 24 are arranged
at rear machine frame end 18, and a ballast screening car 29 is
selectively coupled to one of the machine frame ends, as shown in
full lines at the front end and in phantom lines at the rear end.
Further conveyor band units 22 and 25 cooperate with the further
ballast transfer and receiving stations 21 and 24 for respectively
conveying ballast to and from ballast screening car 29 selectively
coupled a respective one of the machine frame ends 14, 18. Further
conveyor band unit 22 can convey excavated dirty ballast from
discharge end 12 of ballast excavating chain 7 to further ballast
transfer station 21 for cleaning on screening arrangement 30 of
ballast screening car 29, and further conveyor band unit 25 can
convey cleaned ballast from further ballast receiving station 24 to
ballast discharge station 26 arranged rearwardly of the ballast
excavating chain. Both clean ballast discharge stations 20 and 26
are positioned above rail-covering tunnels 27 attached to track
lifting device 28 so that the discharged cleaned ballast falls on
the track bed and not on the rails.
[0015] Ballast screening car 29 may be selectively coupled to the
front or rear end of machine frame 3 and carries screening
arrangement 30 receiving the dirty ballast on top at an opening 31
and discharging cleaned ballast on the bottom where it is conveyed
by conveyor band 33 to discharge end 32.
[0016] As shown, each ballast transfer station 15, 21 at each
machine frame end 14, 18 is positioned above the ballast receiving
station 19, 24. The coupling of ballast screening car 29 to either
machine frame end is facilitated if a vertical distance of ballast
transfer station 15, 21 and track 6, and of ballast receiving
station 19, 24 the track is the same at each machine frame end 14,
18.
[0017] In the slightly modified embodiment of track rehabilitation
machine 1 shown in FIG. 2, energy car 34 is arranged between
machine frame 3 and ballast screening car 29, requiring two
superposed conveyor bands 35 to extend the length of the first and
second conveyor band units 11 and 17, respectively.
[0018] Track rehabilitation machine 1 is operated in the following
manner:
[0019] Dirty ballast 10 is conveyed by first conveyor band unit 11
in the operating direction indicated by arrow 5 to front ballast
transfer station 15 whence it is discharged into opening 31 of
screening arrangement 30 on ballast screening car 29 coupled to
front machine frame end 14. Simultaneously, cleaned ballast coming
from the screening arrangement is discharged from discharge end 32
of conveyor band 33 underneath the screening arrangement to front
ballast receiving station 19 whence it is conveyed by second
conveyor band unit 17 to ballast discharge station 20 whence it is
thrown onto the track bed. The detritus produced by cleaning the
dirty ballast on screening arrangement 30 is loaded onto cars of a
freight train preceding ballast screening car 29. The front cars of
the freight train loaded with the detritus are driven to a dump
where the detritus is deposited while track rehabilitation machine
1 continues to work.
[0020] If working conditions make it advantageous to move the
freight train with its storage car for the detritus towards rear
end 18 of track rehabilitation machine 1, rather than front end 14,
it is only necessary to couple ballast screening car 29 to rear
machine frame end 18, The excavated dirty ballast 10 is then
conveyed in the opposite direction by actuating further conveyor
band unit 22 so that the dirty ballast is conveyed to further
ballast discharge station 21 into ballast screening arrangement 30,
and further conveyor band unit 25 is actuated to convey the clean
ballast to rear ballast receiving station 24 whence it is conveyed
to further ballast discharge station 26 for discharge onto the
track bed.
* * * * *